this was how it looked to the south—east of london for one of our weather watchers. some brightness, certainly some dry weatherfor a time across the far north of scotland, and more of us will see drier weather. there will be quite a lot of cloud, and it will start to turn a little bit milder. rain across western areas as we go through tonight, rain across wales and the south west tending to pull away, rain continuing through northern ireland, into western scotland, some rain getting into north—west england. turning milder in western areas, but further east, particularly northern england and parts of scotland, cold enough for a touch of frost. into tomorrow, a warm front pushing eastwards, bringing patchy rain, another frontal system bringing rain into the north—west, between those two weather fronts a south—westerly wind sucking some increasingly mild air in our direction. here's friday, that warm front bringing patchy rain eastwards, across parts of scotland

and northern england. our next frontal system bringing rain into western scotland and northern ireland. elsewhere a lot of dry weather, cloud, some glimmers of sunshine breaking through. western parts will feel milder, 12 celsius for belfast, plymouth, further east, single digits for the time being. frontal system still running across the north west on saturday, brisk winds as well. further south and east, we are looking at a lot of dry weather. largely dry on saturday. cloud around but sunny breaks, largely fine for northern ireland, rain clipping into the north—west. eastern scotland dry, the western side seen outbreaks of rain. all of us just about by this stage in double figures. it stays very mild as we get into sunday, we should see more sunshine developing across england, wales, the south and east of scotland.

still some outbreaks of rain at times, temperatures of 11—14 degrees in one or two places. as we head into the last couple of days of 2019, most will see dry weather, some rain in the north—west, and it will stay fairly mild. hello, this is bbc news, the headlines: spanish police have named the three british holidaymakers who died in a swimming pool on christmas eve. gabriel diya and his two children drowned at a hotel on the costa del sol.

anyone that knew they would say the same thing. they were just beautiful, lovely people. more than 60 migrants in small boats have been rescued trying to cross the channel to the uk. at least 16 dead and many missing after a typhoon rips through the philipines leaving a trail of devastation behind it. rescuers have been looking for possible victims of four avalanches that have hit ski resorts in austria and switzerland. now on bbc news, it's the travel show. lucy hedges rounds up some of the team's best adventures from 2019.

hello and welcome to this, the last travel show of 2019. so what better time to take a look back on the past year on the programme? here's a taste of what's coming up. oh, my days! condors get this view. condors and us. it's incredible. that was like being in a tumble dryer. that was completely insane. all that and more to come here on the show this week, but let's kick off with a trip that mike made over to california back in may.

we told him that all he'd need was a taste for adventure and a head for heights. here's what happened. here in western california, there are complex beings that have lived for over a millennium. redwood trees have become an icon of this state. but some fear that our changing climate might threaten their survival. so i've come to the most southern tip of their range where change could hit the hardest, tojoin a scientist who's been working here to try to find some answers. it's absolutely amazing being out in the forest. i just love it. listening to the birds and watching the sun move through the canopy, it's beautiful. and today, we'll be climbing this.

these are coast redwoods, they are the tallest tree species in the world, reaching currently about 380 feet tall is the tallest ones. they are incredibly tough and resilient, they are really important ecologically, they are iconic. so i've been here, trying to get a better understanding of how they're responding to climate change, and how they might respond to future climate change. and how are they responding to climate change? as the climate changes, temperatures are increasing, it's drying things out as temperatures get warmer, and that's a big, big consideration for these particular trees because they need so much water, it's affecting their water balance and their ability to transport more water to the tops of the trees. but now it's time to get to work. huh! there we go. so, first, we need a sample of the tree's core. this is the halfway mark there, and then when you get to the ground,

we'll be able to pull that spoon out with the core on it. and the hidden secrets beneath this bark will be ours! the knowledge will be ours! yes! earlier on, anthony showed me some of the secrets the tree had already revealed. so, wow! these are the rings here? yeah, each one of those is an annual ring, one year of growth. so it really only grows a couple of millimetres each year? yeah, and sometimes even less than a millimetre a year. depending on how the conditions are. so we are back hundreds of years right now? once we polish this up and sand it and get a better view of the rings, this is...there could be... ..100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700 maybe years here. wow! so this section up here hasn't seen sunlight for 600, 700 years. yeah, it's an amazing archive. all right. so i have one end of the tape measure,

we are doing the circumference measurement. wrap it all the way around underneath this tubing. ok, so we are at 7.81; metres circumference. that's a big tree. it is a big tree. 7.8 metres around and we are five metres above the ground, and the next plan is to go up to the top. i will put that in my notes. upwards we go, to the top. this redwood stands at over 70 metres tall. climbing redwoods is forbidden in most places, but in this reserve, we have special permission, and what a privilege it is. 0k, a0 metres. i can't get over how beautiful this tree is. we have gotten to the canopy. there are marks on this tree,

a0 metres, which boggles my mind... it's incredible up here. and as we inch upwards, i'm faced with more scorched bark. anthony told me that wildfires are another threat these trees are increasingly facing in the modern world. bird's nest. i don't think there's anybody home, though. with anthony already at the top collecting samples, i make my final push upwards. this view...is definitely one of the wildest, most incredible views i've seen in my entire life. i can't believe we're 71 metres off the ground right now. condors get this view — condors and us.

it's incredible. this is 700 years old, which is before the colonisation of america, before the taj mahal, it makes you feel like a speck of sand in the sandbox, like insignificant. it is a pretty humbling experience, isn't it? if the climate change conditions dries things sufficiently, then they might start to feel some impacts, they might not grow as well, may not get as tall, and might even start to die back, and that is what we're trying to find out. do i feel the tree shaking a little bit? yeah, it's waving. just a normal thing, i'm assuming? mike being rewarded with some truly spectacular views in california back in may. well, earlier injanuary, carmen took on her own challenge in taiwan, but this one involves

staying firmly on the ground. so it's the annual arts festival, and a local dance company have invited me to take part in a performance that they are doing for today's parade. hi, you must be roger? i am, let's get changed. whoa! 0k! the festival is held every year close to taipei, and teams from all over the country and further afield come to compete in a celebration of music and dance. it's a big high—profile event, so my team are taking a real risk by letting a total novice join their ranks. 0k. around the circle. 0k. with only an hour to go before the start of the parade, troupe leader roger walks me through my role. i'd rather be hiding somewhere at the back, but he's me leading the whole team. look at the dragon... swing. swing this way, like an eight. the idea is that the dragon follows the ball and stick that i'm holding.

if only i knew where i was meant to be heading. miraculously, the other performers follow my somewhat frantic lead. let's just hope they'll be this accommodating when we do it for real. i hope no—one laughs at me! in the first section of the parade, a dozen or so local high schools will compete for best performance. the streets are crammed with friends, families and teachers all waiting to see their groups perform. they've been working on their routines for months, and today is the day that it all comes together with an extravaganza of energy, colour and sound. with a great level of showmanship thrown in too for good measure. and now i can hear my group approaching. i am so nervous! and i don't want to make a total fool of myself in front of this big crowd. 0h, there's at least a thousand people here,

it's a lot more than i thought. 0k, tell me when? now? and all of a sudden, i'm on. my mind seems to go totally blank amidst all the noise and colour. luckily, roger is there to give me a push in the right direction. where, where, where? somehow, the team follow my lead, although i really have no idea where i'm going. ok, now in the middle? yes, yes, nice! sorry! it's ok! and then, my big dragon stick seems to develop a mind of its own. oh, sorry! i was really really nervous, and it was quite stressful. oh, my gosh! i tried to remember my moves, i think i only hit two people with the ball. 0h...

i was in a state of panic. sorry to the people that i hit with the ball. it seemed to go on forever. i can't believe i was part of a dragon dance on the streets of taiwan! who would have thought? carmen causing trouble with her dragon stick in taiwan back at the start of the year. time for something with a bit more horsepower now, and in march ade made his first ever visit to dubai. let's just say he got to travel in style, very, very quickly. good to see you. look at this! there you go, mate. jump in. all set? let's do it! everywhere we look... i'm just seeing, we have a rolls—royce going past here,

that is standard, supercars everywhere. what is it with dubai? why are people so in love with their superca rs? there are a couple of different reasons. one is to show off. as much as nobody wants to admit it, people do like showing off, partly why people drive supercars, to show off a little bit. then there is the most amazing driving roads here, you head out to the local areas, there is amazing driving roads out there. danny's ninth degree group of local supercar owners hold regular track days and events here. they even let you hire one of the top of the range models, so that you can get behind the wheel for a few hours, at least. we are going to go for a spin

in this car, and this car is the real deal. it's almost £1 million worth of raw, brutal, unadulterated power. let's do this, man! oh, yes! oh, my days! ade not quite breaking the sound barrier, but almost, in dubai earlier this year. stick around, because there is plenty more to come, including this...

i know they said i'm not going to feel the cold, but i'm really nervous. my goodness! now, if you are a fan of winter sports, you are going to love this next one, because back in march, christa headed to latvia to try her hand on one of the very few professional bobsleigh tracks open to tourists, and it was quite a ride. welcome to sigulda's bobsleigh track, one of the very few in the world where tourists can get the same adrenaline rush as professional races. we are about to set off, 100 kilometres down a very icy slope. luckily i've got an expert pilot, so fingers crossed that it goes very smoothly. apart from the pilot steering the bobsleigh from the front, a team also includes pushers and a brakeman. but tourists get it easy.

theyjust need to duck in and hold on very tight. this track is almost 1500 metres long, and you need a pretty strong stomach to manage its 16 curves. oh, man! i think that is one of the most intense experiences of my entire life. that was like being in a very, very active, very cold tumble dryer for a minute and a half. i didn't even know how long it was. that was completely insane. another winter sport that can take your breath away is this, the skeleton. imagine a luge with no brakes or steering aid

that you ride headfirst. i don't think i'm ready to try one of the full—blown skeletons, but there is a tourist version available that is a little bit wish me luck. it's called a frog, and for this one, there's no crew to make me feel safe. oh, my goodness! oh, god! oh, god.

how was it? so cool! i could go again! right now, let's go. christa in latvia back in march. and keeping within the icy theme, it was my turn to feel the cold when i headed to the french alps to try my hand at ice diving. i still can't believe i somehow got talked into that one. the good news is i can't feel how cold it is out here. the lake i'll be diving into is right in the ski village of tignes le lac, just a stone's throw from the lifts. the more i stare at the icy abyss, the more ijust want to stick my foot in just to get a taste or a feel of how cold it is. i know they said i'm not going to feel the cold,

but i'm really nervous about my body going into some kind of shock once i get into the water. i am sure it will be fine, but my mind is currently in overdrive. ijust want to get in now. you are in, perfect. dan will be staying above the ice, helping me and another instructor go under. it is not an activity you can do as a group. rather, one person at a time with an instructor, for safety reasons. we will go into the water... now. my initial worries of freezing to death quickly went away. perfect! bye— bye! but it didn't quite go to plan, and i had to surface. so my mask started to fill with water... and i started to panic. so i was like, help!

after a little reminder about what to do, namely, don't panic, i was mentally prepared for another go. i am ready to go back in. i only did it for a minute or so, but it is so pretty down there. just being able to touch all the bubbles under the ice is really cool. this time my mask stayed put, but we decided not to stray too far from the ice hole, and my confidence returned. it is an otherworldly experience under the ice, cut off from the noise and distractions above. and it is surprisingly relaxing. 0nly towards the end did my toes and fingers start to tingle a little, but otherwise, the drysuit really did keep the cold out. for the really daring, it is possible to free dive. probably not for me, though. i much prefer having

the oxygen tank. a truly amazing experience, but one i'm not in any kind of hurry to repeat, you won't be surprised to hear. let's finish this look back at 2019 by heading to malaysia, where mike got a chance to get up close to the orangutans of sarawak back in october. i am sure it is an experience he won't forget. i have come to the semenggoh nature reserve where the rangers are preparing for the morning feed. the reserve took orangutans that have been rescued from captivity or suffered from habitat loss and taught them how to live wild in the surrounding forest. since then, the rehabilitation programme has been moved elsewhere, but the forest is still home to 33 orangutans, and tourists have the chance to glimpse those tempted back by a free meal. it is very different to a zoo, then? no orangutans in cages here? yeah, it is totally different to a zoo.

luckily for us, we don't have to wait long for a sighting. this is edwin, one of the males in the park. like the ranger said, this is not a zoo. the orangutans can come from any direction at any time, so you have to be a little careful, especially around the big males like edwin here. while these orangutans are used to people, they are still unpredictable, so tourists are kept at a safe distance. edwin is 23 years old, born in 1996, and he was the first male orangutan born in semenggoh. sadly, despite conservation efforts, orangutans face an uncertain future. over a 16—year period, the numbers in borneo fell by more than 100,000,

a decline blamed on hunting and deforestation. it is now estimated that there are just over 100,000 orangutans left on the island. and so the facility here, how does it help? so by having a sanctuary like semenggoh, people still get the sense of seeing the wild orangutan and not disturb it in its natural habitat. the feeling, the excitement of seeing wild orangutans, bringing you closer conservation efforts, it really means something. mike in malaysia back in october. and i'm afraid that is it for this programme and for this year. all that's left to do is to say thank you

forjoining us on our travels in 2019. and on behalf of everyone here on the programme in front of and behind the camera, we would like to wish you a happy and healthy new year, and we will all see you again in 2020. bye— bye. i mean, this is 2000 years old! definitely worth the ungodly wake—up call. oh, if you insist. here you go. whale burps 0h! good evening. many swapped out a dry and often sunny christmas day for a grey and often soggy boxing day. this was how it looked to the south—east of london for one of our weather watchers. some brightness, certainly some dry weather for a time across the far north of scotland,

and more of us will see drier weather. there will be quite a lot of cloud, and it will start to turn a little bit milder. rain across western areas as we go through tonight, rain across wales and the south west tending to pull away, rain continuing through northern ireland, into western scotland, some rain getting into north—west england. turning milder in western areas, but further east, particularly northern england and parts of scotland, cold enough for a touch of frost. into tomorrow, a warm front pushing eastwards, bringing patchy rain, another frontal system bringing rain into the north—west, between those two weather fronts a south—westerly wind sucking some increasingly mild air in our direction. here's friday, that warm front bringing patchy rain eastwards, across parts of scotland and northern england. our next frontal system bringing rain into western scotland and northern ireland. elsewhere a lot of dry weather, some cloud, some glimmers of sunshine

breaking through. western parts will feel milder, 12 celsius for belfast, plymouth, further east, single digits for the time being. frontal system still running across the north west on saturday, brisk winds as well. further south and east, we are looking at a lot of dry weather. largely dry on saturday. cloud around but sunny breaks, largely fine for northern ireland, rain clipping into the north—west. eastern scotland dry, the western side seeing outbreaks of rain. all of us just about by this stage in double figures. it stays very mild as we get into sunday, we should see more sunshine developing across england, wales, the south and east of scotland. still some outbreaks of rain at times, temperatures of 11—14 degrees in one or two places. as we head into the last couple of days of 2019, most will see dry weather, some rain in the north—west, and it will stay fairly mild.

this is bbc news, i'm annita mcveigh. the headlines at 8pm. spanish police have named the three british holidaymakers who died in a swimming pool on christmas eve. gabriel diya and his two children drowned at a hotel on the costa del sol. anyone that knew they would say the same thing. they were just beautiful, lovely people. more than 70 migrants in small boats have been rescued trying to cross the channel to the uk. at least 16 people are dead and many missing after a typhoon rips through the philipines leaving a trail of devastation. rescuers have been looking for possible victims of four avalanches that have hit ski resorts in austria and switzerland. what's occuring — more than eleven million people tuned in for the return of gavin and stacey — making it the most